Tag: Arizona

Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

I Love Desert!

Jane Sadek

MAKING MEMORIES: SOUTH MOUNTAIN PARK FUN

Family is great, but it’s also great to wake up to a day you get to spend with your husband, enjoying one of your favorite landscapes. This was our last day in Phoenix, but our flight was late enough that we could spend some time in the desert. Join us to enjoy an incredible landscape.

Snoozing Our Way Into South Mountain Park

Most everyone I know thinks the beach is their ultimate destination and beaches are fine, especially at sunset, but I’m usually bored out of my gourd. The landscape that does it for me is the desert. Just as my beach loving friends feel they could spend the rest of their lives staring out at the waves lapping on the shore, I feel my soul soars when I stare out across a pristine view of a desert. So I was excited about a day in the desert with my sweetheart.

I was pretty excited about having breakfast at Snooze, too. We discovered Snooze during a visit to Scottsdale back in 2020. Absolutely loved it, so I was eager to return. If you don’t know me, you might not realize that breakfast on the road is a tough nut to crack. I don’t do coffee and I’m iffy with eggs. Used to be that I could go the pancake or waffle route, but my still relatively new gluten free state adds challenges to ordering breakfast. Still, I had fond memories of Snooze and was hoping they could feed me well on this gf diet.

Oh my goodness!! Let me tell you about Habanero Pork Belly Breakfast Fried Rice!! As my eyes roved over the menu trying to find a gluten free breakfast I could get excited about, my eyes landed on this Tex-Mex, Soul Food, Chinese dish. I was more curious than excited, but I decided to give it a try. One of the BEST meals I’d had in a long while! Who would’ve thought! And while I was looking over the menu I discovered Snooze now has locations in Dallas and I’ve scoped out a few. I haven’t been yet, but when I do, it will be this Tex-Mex, Soul Food, Chinese dish.

On to the Desert

From Snooze we headed south to the mountains – glorious, desert mountains! God is with me all the time, but somehow He’s even more there when I spend time in the desert. Bill and I merely drove around South Mountain Park and visited a few other popular sites like Hole in the Rock, but it filled up my desert cup for the battles ahead.

I had done my research and had printed out a map of South Mountain Park. Some parts were closed for construction, but we headed up in the hills to Dobbin’s Lookout. The view was spectacular and you could easily see why he frequented the beautiful spot.

At one point we came to an intersection that offered a route back to Phoenix or on up to Gila Mountain Lookout. We continued to climb and we decided the lookout must be the highest land around, because that’s where all the antennas were. I could have spent hours hanging out at Dobbin’s or Gila Mountain Lookout. I felt as if my very bones were being strengthened, but Mr. Bill was just hot, so we did venture back towards the city, hitting a few well known spots like Hole in the Rock, which I would have been happy to climb to, but Bill wouldn’t even stop the car long enough for me to get out.

We hurried to the airport to make our flight, but had to wait, because the flight was over an hour late boarding. It was quite late when we got back to Dallas.

So what’s next. How about a “FREE” Caribbean Cruise? See you next week!

Architecture, ART, Attractions, Decorative Arts, DESTINATIONS, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

The Wrigley Mansion in Phoenix

Jane Sadek

Making Memories: Double Your Pleasure with Wrigley’s Mansion & a Meal

A Marketing Headache

We enjoyed seeing Wrigley Mansion, but felt sorry for it. It doesn’t know what it is, so you’re not going to stumble across it without a little intention. I found it by googling “Phoenix Historic Homes,” but I’m not sure many other people do that sort of search. Then I tried to figure out if they had tours and how to get on one if they did.

That was harder, because they can’t decide if they want to be a restaurant, a wine bar, a special events venue or a museum. Things like that didn’t used to be so important. You could get away with being everything to everyone, but in this search heavy society, you better know who you’re reaching out to before you choose your url.

On this side of things, I now wish someone had told me I should go for the tour, stay for happy hour and perhaps dinner. But I didn’t know that, so I booked the tour and wondered exactly what was going to happen. Bill likes to claim that he’s fond of playing it by ear, but in truth, he wants to be fully briefed on his options and if he’s going to go to a tour that turns into happy hour and perhaps dinner, I better have my ducks in a row before I ever book that tour. With other travelers I might have had a different experience, but I didn’t. Still, I’m encouraging you to have it.

The Tour

At 3 PM the happy hour and dining patrons weren’t there yet and only a few other cars were there for the Saturday tour. We made our way up all the stairs (there are a few handicapped parking spots higher on the hill) and arrived in the food service portion of the mansion. We were invited to have a seat and offered wine, but there wouldn’t have been time to enjoy it, so we didn’t take any.

The very millennial tour guide arrived not long after and gathered up her few patrons. We were taken to a music room that continued the home’s current multi-personality issue. It contained a piano which belonged to the Wrigleys, but the delightful room with its fantastic views was also furnished as a dining room for the restaurants.

Our guide walked us to what was the original entry to the house and it was spectacular. A magnificent chandelier with an accenting ceiling fixture highlighting a circular stairway. I can imagine a lot of Phoenix brides hoping to have their bridal portraits taken there, but it also contained a cabinet to sell souvenirs and a tall desk for a receptionist. I’d been in the house for a while, but I didn’t get a sense of how the Wrigley’s lived.

We climbed the stairs and discovered bedrooms fitted out as modern dressing rooms for those brides and their grooms. We were told the names of some of the more famous people who had stayed in the rooms and of the plans they had to turn some of the rooms into short term rentals, but I wondered who would stay in this confused place. And we still didn’t know much about the Wrigley’s.

Back downstairs, the obliteration of the Wrigley’s continued as they showed us various special occasion venues you could rent, but they’d all been redecorated and filled with modern furniture. I had come to hear about chewing gum and baseball, but all I did was tour a special event venue with multiple restaurants.

Outward & Onward

The tour dumped us in the wine bar and we were invited to enjoy happy hour. Some took them up on it, but Bill and I left. I was disappointed. For $5 less per person, we could have gone back to the Musical Instrument Museum and continued to play there. I do not recommend this tour, unless you’re just bored in Phoenix and need some place to go.

We returned to the hotel for a while and later Bill was ready for some dinner, which we got at a neighborhood Middle Eastern cafe. I wasn’t hungry.

The next morning we met his family for a farewell brunch at a place which wasn’t really laid out for a family brunch. Apparently the kids liked to hang out there, but it was a two story coffee shop with tiny tables for two. The guys are great, but I wouldn’t put them in charge of planning social events. The coffee shop didn’t even have a high chair for our youngest one.

We returned to the hotel to take advantage of their water park included in the price of your stay. We grabbed innertubes and floated around the lazy river a few times. There really wasn’t much more to it and everything looked as if it were waiting for a renovation. We finished the day as lazy bums. Me playing with my FOREVER account and Bill taking a nap.

The next day was our final day in Phoenix and we were headed to the desert. Oh boy! Come back next week and join us!

Accommodations, DESTINATIONS, Memory Keeping, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

So What Exactly is a White Coat Ceremony

Jane Sadek

MAKING MEMORIES: SO PROUD OF OUR GRANDNEPHEW

In the medical field, when I student gets to the point where they will be dealing directly with patients, they get their white coats. They’ve been trained enough to deal with people, but they aren’t trained enough to handle them alone. Our Grandnephew Karim, had reached that point and this proud Great Aunt & Great Uncle were invited to the ceremony. Come along and hang with the fam!

Multiple Milestones to Celebrate

Two of our grand nephews live in the Phoenix area and with Karim’s ceremony to attend the family came in from LA, Dallas and the Detroit area. But Karim was not the only celebrant. There were several family birthdays also, Bill’s sister Mona, his grand nephew Fady (Karim’s big brother) and grand nephew Adam. Adam is the youngest member of the family and it was his first birthday. So, you can imagine we wanted to have lots of fun.

Fady found a restaurant at Papago Golf Course called, Lou’s Bar & Grill, where we could all meet. The food was mediocre, but the company was great. It was impossible for darling Adam not to be the star of the show. I’d love to show him to you, but his parents don’t want him on social media, so you’ll just have to trust me.

Then the Party was Over

I have to be gluten free in all of my food choices. I’m quite serious about it, because if I’m not, I get sick. I thought I had followed the GF p’s & q’s at Lou’s, but then I started having stomach issues. I won’t bore you with the details, but eventually it meant we had to leave. I got a little respite in the car and then when we got to our hotel, I was in severe pain.

I went almost immediately to bed, even though it was still quite early. I woke up a few hours later and unpacked my bags. It was all of 9:30 PM, but 11:30 Texas time. I went back to bed in a bit and at 11 PM, realized I’d failed to put in my retainers. I put them in and went back to sleep until my usual wakeup time – 5 AM. Thankfully, but then I felt fine.

Our Accommodations

We stayed at the the Hilton Phoenix Resort at the Peak. I can tell you the resort was not at its peak, but suited our needs just fine. In fact, in our room, the bedroom was separated from everything else, so it was easy for me to get up early and not interrupt Bill’s beauty sleep.

At one time, I’m sure this was a great vacation resort, but those days had passed. The food venues were either closed or mediocre. Some of the pools were closed and others needed maintenance. Frankly, everything was run down – but it was clean and it was quiet, and it had been a real bargain. There was even a water park and some other amusements. We availed ourselves of the lazy river at the water park and truly enjoyed it, in spite of it not being in top condition.

So, if location and price mean more to you than other considerations, these accommodations might be just what you need. If you’re expecting a resort atmosphere, don’t book this.

The White Coat Ceremony

Confession, I goofed up. We did not get an official printed invitation to the ceremony. We just talked to his mom and told her we were coming. I googled dental schools in Phoenix and found Arizona School of Dentistry and went with that. As we drove towards the ceremony, I got this strange feeling we were going to the wrong place. We’d chosen the hotel because it was close to where his mother told us the ceremony would be – but she hadn’t told us the name of the school – and the GPS was not taking us in that direction.

I had a little meltdown, made several calls to family members and headed towards Midwestern University, which was Karim’s school, but it was not my finest moment in travel or family relations. I felt like an idiot and the pretended I wasn’t , but I had done something idiotic!

The ceremony was wonderful. Karim was so glad we’d come and the school did a great job on the official part of things. After the ceremony we got to visit the lab where Karim was learning his trade. It was great to see how well loved and admired he was. He’s amazing!

Post Ceremony Family Time

I’d been off that morning. Bill had his turn that afternoon. At his request I’d made reservations for the tour of a historic home. Then he got with his family and totally forgot we had the reservations. He’d been all for trading snacks for dinner, but then I had to remind him of what else we had planned. When he got his brain back, we made plans for breakfast the next morning and headed off for our next adventure.

Come back next week and join us at Wrigley Mansion.

ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Memory Keeping, Museums, Music, Performing Arts, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Musical Instrument Museum, Phoenix AZ

Jane Sadek

MAKING MEMORIES: MY NEW FAVORITE MUSEUM

My great nephew in dental school invited us to his white coat ceremony. I wasn’t sure what that was, but it was in Phoenix, so I was ready to go. Come along and discover my new favorite museum!

A Challenging Morning

We had crazy time getting on our flight: missed the exit for the Parking Spot, wrong turn once in the Parking Spot lot, told the shuttle driver the wrong gate, then boarding pass printed the night before said one thing, the airline app said something else and the board in the terminal said something else entirely. Then we asked a airline employee who sent us to another terminal via Sky Link. That’s all before we boarded the flight.

Then on the ground in Phoenix, the car we got shook like it was coming apart, before we got out of the airport, so we had to go back and exchange it. By then we were starving, so we went to an IHOP. Our waiter was on the autism spectrum. Now I’m thrilled IHOP had hired him and he really did a good job, but communicating with him was a little challenging. When you’re already frazzled, that takes an extra level of concentration and my concentrator was broken.

Bill’s problem was completely different. He ordered strawberry pancakes, expecting big fluffy pancakes with fresh strawberries. He forgot he was at IHOP, but he was crestfallen when the pancakes arrived with frozen strawberries on top.

A Wonderful Museum

After all our tales of woe, one might think we were on a losing streak, but I struck gold when I took us to the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM). It fell on my radar the last time we’d visited Phoenix/Scottsdale, back in 2020, but try as I might, I couldn’t get Bill interested. This time I didn’t give him the chance to nay say it. I just said that was where we were headed.

What an amazing place! The MIM figured out how to make technology work in a museum. As you may remember several posts back, I’d panned the use of technology by the Seattle Art Museum which made enjoying their porcelain collection impossible. I was wary when the MIM receptionist gave us headsets and told us not to worry, because they’d come on automatically when we neared a display. He was right.

In the first gallery I saw all the icons I’d wished for when we were visiting MOPOP a few months before. It’s like someone had looked into my personal catalog of musical greats and chose the stars they’d highlight in the their museum. Well, some of them were not my favorites, but they were my dad’s and I stood there with tears in my eyes wishing he could be there with me.

Here’s how it worked. If you looked at a display case from afar, you could see the display with costumes, instruments and such. You knew who you were going to enjoy. Then, when you stepped up closer, an audio recording would play, filling you in on the details of the display and video recordings would show on various screens. Step away and they’d quit. It was phenomenal. I had a great time – and that was just the first gallery!

The next gallery was a hands on exhibit allowing visitors to play many different kinds of instruments – mostly percussion. Mr. Bill loved it and we spent a good amount of time there.

The balance of the museum might be the best part. They’ve divided the world up into various sections and whole galleries are devoted to the music of the different regions. Oh my goodness! There were gorgeous costumes from all over the world. Videos of folk dances or notable entertainers from an area. And the instruments. How wonderful! Various areas of the world have instruments I’d never dreamed of. It was one thing to look at them, another to hear how they sounded and something else completely to see a video of beautifully costumed dancers performing to music played on the instrument. I was in heaven.

For me, being cut off from the rest of the world with the headphones allowed me to be fully immersed in the experience. I was tapping my toes, snapping my fingers and clapping my hands. I might have even broken into dancing a few times. Did I mention this was a wonderful museum.

Having visited all the displays of the various countries we started visiting other galleries, devoted to specific instruments, like the piano or guitar. These galleries probably deserved just as much of my attention, but we’d pulled out of our garage about 4 AM that morning and the two hour time difference were telling on me. Besides, we had a family gathering to attend.

Here’s another spread from my photo book:

Please, please, please visit this museum if you are in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area. I’ll e going back every time I’m in the area. Now plan of coming back next week and I’ll share some highlights from our family time.

Architecture, ART, Attractions, Decorative Arts, DESTINATIONS, Fashion, Gardens, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, Shopping, TRAVEL, United States

Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village

Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: ARTSY FARTSY MORNING

So, I admit I love shopping, but what I love best is buying bargain clothes and shoes.  My favorite price is $9.99.  It’s like a game with me to find gorgeous things that the stores want to give away at ridiculous prices.  There are only a few people I buy for when I am traveling and while I enjoy that, I don’t usually hang out in retail establishments.

Bill is a lot more likely to shop on vacation.  He loves consignment stores and will wander around a shopping mall just to see the architecture.  Since we’re not going to buy anything, I sort of see it as a waste of time, but I accommodate his desires.

When we are in Sedona that all changes.  We both love Tlaquepaque with a passion.  We can’t afford most of it, but we want all of it.  Come along with us.   

What’s Not to Love?

So, to begin with, Tlaquepaque is in Sedona.  We pretty much love everything in Sedona.  Even when we have a pizza and think the crust was way too thin, we enjoy it and look back on it fondly.  Maybe there is something to that whole vortex thing.

Next up, Tlaquepaque is visually appealing.  You do not have to enter a single store to enjoy it.  Wandering among the archways and courtyards, listening to the splashing fountains, smelling the delicious food cooking, people watching…it’s all good.  The architecture is part Spanish colonial, part southwest –  tile roofs, black rod iron ornamentation, brick walkways, desert foliage…all the stuff we like – all gorgeous.

But what’s more, the shopping in fun.  It is perfectly OK to wander around for hours, stopping into shops, some multiple times and not buy a single thing.  Maybe they’re lonely.  Maybe they’re just nice.  Whatever it is, everyone is thrilled to see you.  They greet you and chat you up.  They do not hover over you as if you are about to steal the whole store or try to sell you everything you linger at.  They want your opinion on the goods they are unpacking or will ask you if a particular wall is a good place to hang something.  They will let you try on every ring in the case without huffing or puffing and won’t be the merchandise monitor limiting you to one item at a time.  Here – try them both on, go show your husband, step out in the courtyard to see it in the light.

Some of the stores are also studios, so you can watch someone do whatever they do.  Or there’s a partially finished something that allows you to see how they arrive at finished products.  You smell clay and leather and paints.  You’re just as likely to smell magnolia blossom essential oil, patchouli perfume or burning incense.  

How It Went This Time

Bill made friend in one of the first shops we entered.  He didn’t so much love the merchandise as he discovered the proprietor goes to Egypt every year – so Bill being Egyptian, they had a lot to talk about.  So much so that I had time to discover the bargain of the day – a pair of blue topaz earrings set in silver – but it was that blue topaz that is visually interchangeable with aquamarines, which are my birthstone.  They were quite a bit more than my $9.99 price, but a steam nonetheless.  So much so, that Bill bought them for me!

Then we wandered – for hours.  We barely scratched the surface.  We strolled without any particular pattern.  We had a marvelous time enjoying all the things I just described to you above.  About halfway through, I found a cute shop with unique hand-blown wine stoppers – not cheap, but reasonable.  I’d found the gifts I wanted to buy.

The weather was a little gray and a little nippy, so it didn’t beg us to linger outside or take photos.  Sorry about that.  Bill did fall in love with these pieces in one of the galleries, but they didn’t come home with us.

We could have gone on for hours more, but we had a plane to catch.  El Rincon Restaurante Mexicano was wafting amazing aromas into the courtyards.  We followed our noses and had an amazing meal before heading out to the airport.

Home Again

The drive back to Phoenix was without incident.  We returned our rental car with ease and the shuttle bus delivered us to our terminal without a hassle.  The Southwest plane was on time and the flight was fine.  Our car was right where we left it and we got home with no trouble.  See we can go on a trip without a single hassle.

What’s next?  Right this minute I don’t know.  It’s July as I blog about this February trip and our lives are dominated by the pandemic.  I tried to plan another trip out west during December, but there are so many unknowns right now that I finally gave up.  Stay tuned, though.  You know I won’t be able to stay home!!

Accommodations, DESTINATIONS, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, Shopping, TRAVEL, United States

Downtown Sedona

Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: ROLLING UP THE SIDEWALKS

As we made our way from Oak Creek Canyon to Downtown Sedona, I have to confess that Google was not much help.  Perhaps they need me there to help them get on Google My Business or maybe they just don’t care.  Anyway, what was listed was either fast food or pizza.  In self-defense, we chose pizza.

Sedona Pizza and Pasta

It was only about 6 PM, but they really were rolling up the sidewalks.  There was one jewelry store that seemed to have some activity, so we strolled in.  Everything cost the world and the proprietor was an as er… a jerk.  We didn’t stay there long.

Across the street was a little plaza where there were a couple of restaurants open.  The sandwich shop had big plate glass windows featuring the view, but it was virtually empty and the light was fading fast, so the view wasn’t going to be visible in the next few minutes.

We opted for Sedona Pizza and Pasta.  The prices were more than we would have expected for a casual dinner, but we didn’t have a choice.  So, we ordered up and watched the guys behind the counter cooking up and serving meals.  When our pizza was delivered we were disappointed.  We already knew it was going to be a thin crust pizza, which is not our favorite, but we’d never seen a crust so thin.  We’re talking paper thin.  The service was good, it was clean and the staff was really nice, but we really can’t recommend a pizza place that virtually puts their pizza fixings on paper.

Back at the Adobe Village Inn

We stopped by a convenience store on the way to the Inn and picked up a bottle of wine.  Back at the inn we chose some free DVD’s to watch – a documentary about Sedona and High Crimes with Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd. 

We also took advantage of the Inn’s hot tub.  We’d let the manager know we were interested and he had it all cued up for us.  It really was quiet nice.

After the hot tubbing and a shower, we crawled into bed and watched our selections.  After all the activity we had in Scottsdale and Phoenix, it was nice to take it easy – and after all the challenging driving we’d done during the day, we were pooped.

Up and Out

Breakfast was served from 8-9, so Bill could not linger in bed.  The Adobe Village Inn’s website is very proud of their breakfast tradition.  As soon as we made our reservations, they emailed to ask about food preferences.  I confessed to my prejudice against eggs and that resulted in a breakfast that was way too sweet for both of us.  I mean, in small bits, all of it was delicious, but breakfast is an important meal and we needed something besides carbs, sugar and fruit.  I’m betting if you didn’t tell them no eggs, you could get something absolutely perfect.

Our target for the morning was Tlaquepaque, but we took a driving tour first.  Come back next week and join us!

Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Schnebly Road in Sedona AZ

Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: 4 WHEELING FUN IN RED ROCK COUNTRY

Turn up the volume and enjoy the ride.  We had a blast on our own self-guided tour of Schnebly Road.

Detour to Hillside

Since Bill was into savoring on this adventure, I took advantage of it to get a few photos.  Just past Red Rock National Park, where the spectacular formations cluster, there’s a place called Hillside Sedona.  We were also looking for a snack, but in the middle of the afternoon, pretty much everything was closed.  We did, however, get these great shots.

From there we drove to Schnebly Hill Road and initially we were underwhelmed.  I was just another small road, unpaved but covered with gravel.  This was our 4 Wheel adventure?

Bye Bye Road!

Bill was not impressed and he wasn’t savoring it at all, but I showed him how the map indicated there was some normal road before the broken line that was “Schnebly Road Requires High Clearance Vehicles.,” so he decided to hang in there.  Good thing. 

To our delight, the road got worse and worse and worse.  Bill was in heaven.  Most of the vehicles on this part of the road were open-aired Jeep Wrangles with jacked up shocks, leaving them plenty of room to cruise over the rough spots.

We were in the more sedate Jeep Cherokee and that rental car might have hit bottom a time or two before we were over, but we were having a great time.  Here’s some of the road we tackled.

While some of you guys might consider this pretty lame 4 wheeling, we were having a blast.  We’re city folk and the biggest excitement we get driving around most of the time is an overlarge pothole in our flat Texas landscape.  Yahooo!  We were living large.

We kept on going on down the road until we came to a sign informing us that the rest of Schnebly Road was off limits due to it being out of season.  Drat.  We had to turn around and do it all again and some of it was more exciting heading back than it had been coming in.  Several open-aired jeeps passed us going in and coming out, but we couldn’t have had more fun if we’d been their passengers. This was definitely a highlight of the trip.

Oak Creek Canyon 

The gorgeous sky disappeared and sprinkling rain threatened worse conditions, but we were still in adventure mode.  I’d missed Oak Creek Canyon on the way to Sedona and now we had time to visit.  I consulted the map pointed took over driving from Bill.

The next time we head to Sedona, and I swear it will be sooner rather than later, I want to stay in Oak Creek Canyon.  Nestled in by high red cliffs on both sides, Oak Creek meanders along trading sides with the road about halfway along.  Cute little motels, cabins and campgrounds are sprinkled along the length of the canyon.  I imagine staying in any of them would be quite a treat.

Then you start to climb out of the canyon on a series of exciting switchbacks.  You can see from the GPS the twists and turns you encounter.  The ride was thrilling, which was a good thing, because when we got to our destination, the overlook, it had just closed and sleet was starting to come down.  We weren’t able to visit, but we were having fun.

The day was getting dark and with the weather getting messy, I was done driving. Reluctantly, Bill took back over and headed back to Sedona.  My job was to investigate possible meal opportunities.  Come back next week and see what we did. 

Accommodations, Architecture, ART, Decorative Arts, DESTINATIONS, Gardens, TRAVEL, United States

Adobe Village Inn

Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: IN THE SHADOW OF BELL ROCK

This was the view from our window.  Though not immediately identifiable from this angle, with the trees in front of it, the formation to the left is Bell Rock.  On the right is Courthouse Butte.  We were very happy with our accommodations!

It Looked Good and Got Better 

When the GPS told us we’d arrived at Adobe Village Inn, we patted ourselves on the back.  It was located right smack dab in the middle of the most awesome scenery.  From outside, the inn was a lovely adobe home with gardens.  Fountains, a tile roof and various statuary said this was going to be good.  We were greeted by a gentleman who looked like he belonged in a setting just like this and he welcomed us into the home.

We should have taken more pictures.  The living room was spectacular.  Expansive view, tile floor, lovely patio, charming decor and more and more and more.  We were so excited we were almost giggly.

The nice gentleman who looked like he fit right in was actually the manager, not the owner, but he gave us a nice tour and let us to our room.  Our room was great – if not perfect.  There was a fireplace, but it was crowded into a corner.  The only way to get cozy with it was a love seat, crammed into the same corner.  On the other side of the entry was a huge space that was a sort of dressing room/closet combo with bathroom.  I would have preferred more space around the fireplace, but they didn’t ask me.  I’m thinking many of their patrons do sporting things and the big closet space is for storing their equipment.

Further in the room, past the storage/bathroom there was a large piece of furniture, like a sideboard with coffee and such.  On the facing wall was the TV and other electronics.  Then the room opened up to embrace a king-sized bed.  Theoretically, you could watch the TV from the bed or love seat.  In reality, you weren’t there to watch TV and it wasn’t great viewing from either spot.    

They get an A for hospitality.  Snacks were available, the fire was going and nice music was playing.  I gave it a 9.5.  We retrieved our luggage and got settled in.  There was a patio, but the sign said we weren’t supposed to go out there.  Another window, next tot he bed gave us the view above.

In our discussion with the manager we discovered the Inn really was a village.  Besides the several rooms in the home, there were several casitas just up the hill a few steps away.  Wedding ceremonies are often held on the lovely patio and the wedding party stays in the casitas.  Up from the casitas are other full size homes and several of them belong to the inn to be rented out by larger groups.  I highly recommend this facility for a wedding or family reunion or even your next getaway.

The day was getting warmer and the sky was clearing of any threatening clouds.  We climbed back into our Jeep for our next adventure.  I’d seen something on the map that had caught my attention, “Schnebly Road Requires High Clearance Vehicles.”  Our guided 4-wheel expedition may have been cancelled, but we were going to see if we couldn’t find our own adventure. 

Please join us next week for some fun and sun! 

Architecture, ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Going to the Chapel

Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: CHAPEL OF THE HOLY CROSS

Hopping from trail head to trail head, we soon found ourselves at a favorite attraction in the area – The Chapel of the Cross.  Come along for a visit.

A Little Savoring Side Trip

Confession, while I may not need to hone my skills at savoring a Mickey D’s breakfast, Bill is right that I do not savor enough.  I want to see everything right now and I want to see all of it fast. 

As soon as we caught sight of the chapel, I was ready to zip right up there and take it all in.  Mr. Bill was busy savoring things.  First, he savored a few more trail heads.  Then he drove around a residential neighborhood just below the chapel.  Though I was antsy at the beginning of the process, I did manage to slow down and begin dancing to the beat of his drummer. 

Visiting the Chapel

When you have a favorite place, you keep it pasted on the walls of your brain to retreat there whenever the desire arises.  When you go back to visit in reality, sometimes they have dared to change things.  Sometimes that’s good and sometimes that’s bad.  At the chapel it was a little bit of both.

The experience of arrival was pretty similar.  I think they may have moved the angel statue I was so fond of, but the elevated walkway was much the same and the exterior of the chapel was as it had always been.

However, when you actually entered the chapel things had changed drastically.  A huge life-sized crucifix has been placed inside, dominating the view of the valley from the interior.  I had fond memories of standing inside the chapel, close to the huge windows, looking down on the valley.  Am I allowed to say that I loved the sculpture of Christ on the Cross, but I didn’t like what it did to the chapel?

Instead of being allowed to appreciate the incredible view spread out below the chapel, you are now separated from it.  First, by tables of candles and then by the statue itself.  For some, this might make the chapel a more holy place, but for me, surveying the creation of a man, over God’s creation was a disappointment.  I don’t know how to tell them to fix it.  The copper sculpture needs to be inside to keep the beautiful finish, but the space is really to small for it.  I couldn’t get far enough away from it to really appreciate it and the barricade of candles before it ruined the truly awesome view of the valley.

On other visits I’d had a difficult time dragging myself away from the chapel.  This time, I was in and out in moments.  Once outside you became aware of something else that had changed – the view outside the chapel.  See that enormous house just to the left of center.  They should be ashamed of themselves.  Overly ostentatious and very distracting!

So, I’ve decided to retain my memories of the chapel before these latest additions.  The sculpture and the house will stay and other distractions may be added, but I’m just going to keep my old memories intact and go to the old chapel in my brain.   

After we finished with the chapel we decided to check into our Bed and Breakfast Inn, The Adobe Village Inn.  Join us next week and discover this delightful place to stay.

Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

On to Sedona

Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: REVISITING A FAVORITE SPOT

Sedona, AZ is famous as a uniquely beautiful place.  It also has a reputation as the location of energy vortices and some say it is a hotbed of alien activity.  I don’t know about all that.  I don’t see vortices and aliens.  I see something beautiful that God made and just being there brings me a sort of surreal peacefulness.  I believe there are just some places on earth where God showed off a little bit and I think Sedona is one of them.

Getting On the Road

As usual, I woke up very early and entertained myself with reading and crossword puzzles.  I was ready to get on down the road, but Bill was all about lingering.  Lingering aside, I needed to get me ready to go and all our stuff packed up by checkout time, which was 10 AM.  Finally at 8, I started the process and eventually Bill decided it was OK for me to start packing.  Bill waited until the very last minute to leave and that’s just about the time he got an inquiry concerning a possible photography shoot from a new client.  We missed checkout time by 5 minutes.  not that big of a deal, but par for the course.

Bill had a new mantra, “SAVOR.”  That’s a good mantra, but I can’t get very excited about savoring McDonald’s.  In fact, we’d already had a whole lot more McDonald’s that I’m used to on this trip, but here we were again to start our drive to Sedona.  I tried to modify my anxiety to get down the road while Bill savored whatever Mickey D’s breakfast he’d chosen.

Pedal to the Metal

It was decided I’d drive to Sedona and that was fine with me.  I jumped in and drove as fast as I thought I could get away with.  It’s a gorgeous drive from the Sonoran Desert of Scottsdale to the Red Rocks of Sedona.  The weather had not been promising before we left Dallas and we had cancelled the four-wheeling adventure, because it sounded like we’d be facing a chilly damp day.  It turned out to be one of those days that has a little of everything in it, but as you can see from the picture above, as we neared Sedona, the sky was incredible.

If you’re taking this little trip, let me make a suggestion.  Do not turn off at the first exit for Sedona.  I completely forgot this advice myself, since I was driving rather than navigating and we entered the town from the south.  The benefit to the south entrance is that you arrive at some of the most spectacular Red Rock formations right away. The down side is you don’t start with Oak Creek Vista and for me, a few moments there, before entering the fabulous Oak Creek Canyon, is the best way to start a visit to Sedona.

Photography Heaven

The spectacular landscape just south of Sedona demanded we get out of the car and start taking pictures.  We drove from one trailhead to the next, using their parking lots to take jaw dropping pictures.  It was still a bit nippy at this point with some drizzle, so we were right to cancel the four wheeling expedition, but it didn’t stop us from enjoying the scenery.  Let me share some of the beauty with you and then come back next week to find out more about our visit to Sedona.